External Stories
- March 12, 2010
- The Signal mentioned USC Thornton faculty member Eric Schmidt
- The Signal noted that Eric Schmidt of the USC Thornton School is chairing the facilities committee of the Santa Clarita Arts Commission.
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- March 8, 2010
- Darien News featured USC Thornton alumnus Bob Lydecker
- Darien News featured USC Thornton School alumnus Bob Lydecker, who contributed music to the score of new film The Crazies. Lydecker is also scoring music for a student film at USC, the story stated.
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- March 2, 2010
- La Prensa highlighted an upcoming special guest appearance by USC Thornton faculty member Yehuda Gilad
- La Prensa reported that Yehuda Gilad of the USC Thornton School will be the special guest at Bowling Green State University’s upcoming clarinet conference.
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- February 26, 2010
- Times-News highlighted an upcoming performance by USC Thornton faculty member Bruce Forman
- Times-News reported that Bruce Forman of the USC Thornton School will participate in a benefit performance for nonprofit organization the Great Basin Jazz Camp.
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- February 19, 2010
- The Cincinnati Enquirer highlighted an upcoming performance by USC Thornton faculty member H. Robert Reynolds
- The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that H. Robert Reynolds of the USC Thornton School will direct the 2010 Honor Band of America.
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- February 18, 2010
- Los Angeles Times quoted USC Thornton faculty member Christopher Sampson
- Los Angeles Times quoted Christopher Sampson of the USC Thornton School about the song “My Sharona” by The Knack.
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- SoCal Minds featured a USC Thornton vocal masterclass
- SoCal Minds featured a vocal masterclass for students from the USC Thornton School and the Manhattan School of Music, taught via Internet video conference.
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- February 12, 2010
- The New York Times highlighted USC Thornton faculty member Stephen Hartke
- The New York Times highlighted Stephen Hartke of the USC Thornton School, calling him “one of the most audaciously original and accomplished composers of today.” The article noted that Lorin Maazel conducted the New York Philharmonic in the premiere of Hartke’s Sympony No. 3, a work written in response to 9/11, and that in May Gustavo Dudamel will conduct the premiere of Hartke’s Sympony No. 4, “Organ,” with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
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- February 11, 2010
- Fort Worth Star-Telegram interviewed USC Thornton faculty member Pepe Romero
- Fort Worth Star-Telegram ran a Q&A with classical guitarist Pepe Romero of the USC Thornton School. “I started trying to mimic my dad and I still am doing that. He taught with great love and patience but great discipline,” Romero said.
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- January 31, 2010
- The Canadian Press quoted USC Thornton faculty member Bob Mintzer
- The Canadian Press quoted Bob Mintzer of the USC Thornton School about the University of North Texas’ jazz band.
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- January 30, 2010
- Journal Star highlighted upcoming performances by USC Thornton faculty member Ronald McCurdy
- Journal Star reported that Ronald McCurdy of the USC Thornton School will perform in “Ask Your Mama: Twelve Moods for Jazz,” a touring concert of poet Langston Hughes’ words and jazz poetry.
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- January 28, 2010
- The Washington Post quoted USC Thornton faculty member Stewart Gordon about the late Earl Wild
- The Washington Post quoted Stewart Gordon of the USC Thornton School in an obituary for piano virtuoso Earl Wild.
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- January 27, 2010
- The Arizona Republic quoted USC Thornton faculty member Christopher Sampson on this year's female Grammy Award nominees
- The Arizona Republic quoted Christopher Sampson of the USC Thornton School about the female music artists who are dominating this year’s Grammy Awards field.
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- January 26, 2010
- Daily Breeze ran an obituary for former USC Thornton faculty member Hans Beer
- Daily Breeze ran an obituary for Hans Beer, who was a professor of the USC Thornton School. Beer joined the USC faculty in the 1950s. He served as associate conductor of the USC Thornton Symphony and director of the Thornton School’s opera performance initiative, the story noted.
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- January 19, 2010
- Los Angeles Times previewed an upcoming concert by the USC Thornton Symphony at the Broad Stage
- Los Angeles Times featured an upcoming concert by the USC Thornton Symphony at the Broad Stage. The concert will be recorded by KUSC-FM for future broadcast, the story noted.
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- January 16, 2010
- Ventura County Star featured USC Thornton Oriana Choir conductor Lesley Leighton
- Ventura County Star featured USC Thornton School doctoral candidate Lesley Leighton, conductor of the Thornton School’s Oriana Choir.
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- January 6, 2010
- Amarillo Globe-News previewed an upcoming performance by USC Thornton faculty member H. Robert Reynolds
- Amarillo Globe-News reported that H. Robert Reynolds of the USC Thornton School will direct the 2010 Honor Band of America performance at Butler University in March.
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- January 2, 2010
- The Times-Picayune previewed an upcoming performance by USC Thornton faculty member Midori Goto
- The Times-Picayune reported that Midori Goto of the USC Thornton School will perform with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra.
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- December 30, 2009
- Los Angeles Downtown News mentioned the upcoming USC Thornton Composition Department Recital
- Los Angeles Downtown News reported that USC Thornton School composition students will debut new works for the school’s symphony orchestra at USC’s Bovard Auditorium on February 11. The show will feature director Larry Livingston and conductor Sharon Lavery of the Thornton School. One of the show’s highlights will be a performance of Thornton School graduate student Sarah Gibson’s “And It’s Spring When the World Is Puddle-Wonderful, Concerto for Left-Hand Piano and Chamber Orchestra.”
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- December 24, 2009
- Thousand Oaks Acorn reviewed a performance by the Thousand Oaks High School band of the American folk song “Shenandoah,” arranged for concert band by Frank Ticheli of the USC Thornton School
- Thousand Oaks Acorn reported that American folk song “Shenandoah” by Frank Ticheli of the USC Thornton School was performed by the Thousand Oaks High School band at its winter concert. “This piece featured an exquisite, rolling, canon-like sequence played by the flute section,” the story stated.
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- December 14, 2009
- Pasadena Star-News featured the USC Thornton School’s 23rd annual Charles Dickens Dinner
- Pasadena Star-News featured the USC Thornton School’s 23rd annual Charles Dickens Dinner, which honored the upcoming retirement of USC President Steven B. Sample and marked the conclusion of the Thornton School’s 125th anniversary celebration. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger presented Sample and his wife, Kathryn, with the John C. Argue Dickens Medals of Honor for their leadership role in transforming USC into one of the nation’s top academic institutions, the story stated. Opera star and USC alumna Marilyn Horne was honored with the Thornton Legacy Award in recognition of her 60-year career and commitment to fostering young musical artists. “These three towering USC figures are the embodiment of this institution,” said Thornton School Dean Robert Cutietta. “In both their personal and professional lives, Steve, Kathryn and Marilyn have consistently held themselves to the highest standards of excellence and dedication. They are true visionaries, and we are deeply grateful to them for all they have done for the Trojan family and beyond.” Chairman of the USC Board of Trustees Ed Roski and his wife, Gayle, co-chaired the event, which attracted 375 guests and raised $500,000 for Thornton, the story reported. The article stated that the event was also attended by Flora Thornton, the benefactor for whom the USC Thornton School is named; Elizabeth Argue, widow of late Chair of the USC Board of Trustees John Argue; USC Trustee Jane Popovich and spouse Kris; USC Trustee Lorna Reed and spouse Charles; and numerous faculty members from the Thornton School and the Keck School of USC. USC graduate students Jake Reed and Kyung-Teak Lim were received scholar awards at the event.
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- Pasadena Star-News highlighted an upcoming discussion with David Daniels at USC Thornton School of Music
- Pasadena Star-News reported that the USC Thornton School will be hosting a free community conversation with renowned countertenor David Daniels this Thursday.
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- December 10, 2009
- Napa Valley Register previewed an upcoming performance of a piece by USC Thornton faculty member Morten Lauridsen
- Napa Valley Register reported that the song “Lux Aeterna” by Morten Lauridsen of the USC Thornton School will be performed by the Napa Valley Chorale this weekend to celebrate the World Day of Choral Singing.
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- The Herald previewed an upcoming performance of a new work by USC Thornton faculty member Frank Ticheli
- The Herald reported that “Nitro,” a new overture by Frank Ticheli of the USC Thornton School, will be performed by the Monterey Peninsula College Concert Band at a performance this weekend.
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- December 7, 2009
- The Shreveport Times highlighted USC Thornton graduate student Keenan Reesor
- The Shreveport Times highlighted USC Thornton School graduate student Keenan Reesor’s honorable mention at the 2009 Wideman Piano Competition.
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- December 2, 2009
- NBC News announced the USC Thornton School's Choral Winter Gala
- NBC News Los Angeles affiliate KNBC-TV highlighted the USC Thornton School’s Choral Winter Gala Concert, which will be held tonight at USC’s Bovard Auditorium.
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- November 25, 2009
- Poughkeepsie Journal mentioned USC Thornton faculty member Ronald McCurdy
- Poughkeepsie Journal reported that Ronald McCurdy of the USC Thornton School is one of the directors of the 2010 Grammy Jazz Ensembles. The story noted that the Thornton School is a Grammy Foundation partner, contributing to college scholarships.
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- November 23, 2009
- San Angelo Standard-Times highlighted USC Thornton faculty member Kevin Fitz-Gerald
- San Angelo Standard-Times reported that Kevin Fitz-Gerald of the USC Thornton School served as a judge for the International Sorantin Young Artist Competition.
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- November 17, 2009
- Deseret News reviewed a performance by USC Thornton faculty member Bob Mintzer
- Deseret News reviewed a performance by Bob Mintzer of the USC Thornton School. “If you weren’t at the Bob Mintzer/Crescent Super Band concert, you missed a show,” the article stated. “The easy-going Mintzer, who is also the director of University of Southern California’s Thornton Jazz Orchestra, turned on some younger concertgoers with his own ‘Go Go’ and Basie’s ‘One O’clock Jump.’”
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- November 13, 2009 The New York Times quoted USC Thornton faculty member Larry Livingston in a series of articles about Gustavo Dudamel
- The New York Times quoted Larry Livingston of the USC Thornton School in a story about new Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor Gustavo Dudamel, who has captured mainstream attention. Livingston said that Dudamel is a breath of fresh air and a thrilling addition to Los Angeles, but he wondered whether glitz was necessary to save classical music. “Will the tsunami of interest in his hair, ‘cool’ name, Latin background, and brilliant temperament lead a rescue of American orchestras from the financial mess which is stalking all of them?” Livingston asked.
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Read the article on November 20
- November 2009
- Los Angeles Magazine highlighted the USC Thornton School's 125th anniversary celebration
- Los Angeles Magazine highlighted the USC Thornton School’s 125th anniversary celebration. The article stated that the Thornton School is one of the top three institutions of its kind in the country. The story also highlighted the upcoming concert by conductor Helmuth Rilling and the USC Thornton Symphony, part of Visions and Voices: The USC Arts & Humanities Initiative.
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- November 5, 2009
- Stockton Record previewed an upcoming performance of USC Thornton faculty member Stephen Hartke's “Night Songs for a Desert Flower"
- Stockton Record highlighted Stephen Hartke of the USC Thornton School, who composed the string quartet work “Night Songs for a Desert Flower.” The four-movement piece was commissioned by New York-based chamber musicians, who will perform it Saturday at the University of the Pacific. Hartke will be in attendance, the story reported.
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- November 1, 2009
- A Letter from President Barack Obama
- USC Thornton received a congratulatory letter from President Barack Obama for its 125th Anniversary.
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- October 27, 2009
- The Chronicle of Higher Education featured USC Thornton faculty member Brian Shepard
- The Chronicle of Higher Education featured Brian Shepard of the USC Thornton School and the videoconferencing software he developed to enable remote master classes. “There’s a great deal of information that is there if you’re in the same room with somebody singing or performing an instrument, but that is often not transmitted in a videoconference,” Shepard said. His system removes the echo that results when signals travel over the Internet, while allowing the full spectrum of sound to be transmitted, the story stated. “We’re not trying to eliminate the in-person meetings, but there are times when that is impossible,” Shepard noted.
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- October 25, 2009
- The Cincinnati Enquirer highlighted USC Thornton faculty member Midori Goto's membership to American Classical Music Hall of Fame
- The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that Midori Goto of the USC Thornton School has been chosen to be a member of the American Classical Music Hall of Fame. “Midori blends an ambitious international performance schedule with innovative community engagement initiatives, both at home and abroad,” the story stated, noting that Goto holds the Jascha Heifetz Chair in Violin at USC.
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- The Post-Crescent highlighted an upcoming performance by USC Thornton faculty member Jo-Michael Scheibe
- The Post-Crescent reported that Jo-Michael Scheibe of the USC Thornton School will be guest conductor at the Sixth Annual Fox Cities Choral Music Festival, a high school choir showcase. “It means that people are finding satisfying experiences through singing choral music that can’t be done alone,” Scheibe said. “Anytime we have a chance to share in some sort of communal effort to sing great music, it’s one of those opportunities that brings schools together and singers together. I find every time I do this there’s an energy that comes out of the process that hopefully does some more good work in the chorus I’m working with.”
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- October 23, 2009
- The Christian Science Monitor quoted USC Thornton faculty member Brian Shepard
- The Christian Science Monitor quoted Brian Shepard of the USC Thornton School in an article on how computers are changing the way people make, perform and listen to symphonic music. Shepard said he notices that freshmen are adept at writing complex scores on their computers, but they often can’t comprehend the subtleties that exist between different instruments or even harmonic registers — most likely because they haven’t heard much classical music performed live. Shepard added that digital orchestration is best used not to replace acoustic instruments, but to add new sounds that composers living centuries ago had never imagined. “I love the orchestral instruments, but I also love the sounds that are created electronically,” he said. “I don’t see it as an either/or situation.”
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- October 21, 2009
- L.A. Weekly featured an op-ed by USC Thornton faculty member Chris Young
- L.A. Weekly ran an op-ed by Chris Young of the USC Thornton School about Italian composer and conductor Ennio Morricone, who wrote the score to “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.” “His contribution among American film composers is that he happened to create a language that could only have been made for someone working in Europe, but he did it in such a way that, unlike a lot of other scores that are written for European films, he communicated in a language we got immediately,” Young wrote. “I’ve heard he struggles with speaking English, yet you listen to his scores and you wouldn’t know that. I think his music always illuminates what’s going on dramatically in a manner that could have fooled most of us into believing that he understood exactly what was being said and going on.”
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- Fall 2009
- The Voice magazine mentioned USC Thornton alumnus Christopher Eanes
- The Voice magazine mentioned USC Thornton alumnus Christopher Eanes' new directorship of the Cincinnati Boychoir.
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- October 18, 2009
- The Plain Dealer reviewed a performance by the Ciaramella ensemble, directed by USC Thornton faculty members Adam and Rotem Gilbert
- The Plain Dealer reviewed a performance by the Renaissance wind ensemble Ciaramella, directed by Rotem Gilbert and Adam Gilbert of the USC Thornton School. The performance opened the 24th season of Case Western Reserve University’s Chapel, Court & Countryside series at Harkness Chapel. The story stated that the composers of the works performed would have adored "the graceful utterances of the recorders and the wheezy vitality of the early bagpipes, which were at once elegant and rousing as awakened by the Gilberts and Doug Milliken."
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- October 14, 2009
- Shanghai Daily featured USC Thornton faculty member Midori Goto
- Shanghai Daily featured Midori Goto of the USC Thornton School in conjunction with her upcoming debut performance in Shanghai. Goto holds the Jascha Heifetz Chair in Violin and chairs the Thornton School’s strings department, the story noted. “Playing together with young musicians is always a refreshing experience, particularly in the exchange of ideas and perspectives,” Goto said. “Consistency and quality are two essential elements of a student’s early and continued exposure to music. I try not to give general advice, but it is my hope that young musicians always remember the simple, pure delights of music.”
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- October 11, 2009
- Los Angeles Times highlighted the USC Thornton School
- Los Angeles Times featured the USC Thornton School and the renovation and expansion it is undergoing amid its 125th anniversary. The school recently added several degree programs, including one in popular music performance, the first of its kind, the story reported. The Thornton School was one of the first universities to offer a free-standing jazz studies department, and its Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television program has become a feeder for the film industry, the article stated. “It used to be that a music school was a conservatory,” Thornton School Dean Robert Cutietta said. “Music schools had one focus — the canon. Now the school does what colleges should do: open the minds of students to opportunities they didn’t even know existed.” He added: “I always laugh, inside, when a freshman tells me he knows exactly what he wants to do in his profession. We’re here, basically, to blow that freshman’s mind. We don’t want to take the focused student away from his focus. But we want to broaden each one of them.” The story emphasized the high admission standards of the school, noting that only the top 10 percent of applicants are granted admission. “We are ruthless about that. Who you have sitting next to you is just as important as who’s teaching you. If the rest of the symphony cannot play at your level, you are sunk,” Cutietta explained. Thornton School instructors have included Jascha Heifetz, Igor Stravinsky and Arnold Schoenberg, and the school’s alumni include Herb Alpert, Michael Tilson Thomas, Marilyn Horne and Presidential Medal of the Arts recipient and Thornton School faculty member Morten Lauridsen, the article noted. Thornton School student Derik Nelson, recipient of the school’s Brian Wilson scholarship for songwriting, said: “I turn in songs instead of papers, I study the Beatles, and I play a gig with my band at the Troubadour, and all of that is recognized at the university.”
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- The Wichita Eagle highlighted Midori Goto of the USC Thornton School
- The Wichita Eagle highlighted Midori Goto of the USC Thornton School in an article about her brother, Ryu Goto, who said he hopes to emulate her commitment to outreach and education.
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- October 10, 2009
- Los Angeles Times featured Flora Laney Thornton
- Los Angeles Times featured Flora Laney Thornton, the benefactor for whom the USC Thornton School is named. Thornton donated $25 million to USC in 1999 after USC President Steven B. Sample approached her about a naming gift, the story reported. “I always want to know what I’m doing, not just jump into things,” Thornton said. “But the more I thought about it, the more I saw it would be very helpful to a lot of people. It was the biggest thing I’d ever done in one fell swoop.”
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- Pasadena Star-News mentioned the late Eleonore Schoenfeld of the USC Thornton School
- Pasadena Star-News mentioned the late Eleonore Schoenfeld of the USC Thornton School in a story on the event Concerts on the Crest Revisited: A Boho-Highbrow Weekend in Altadena. Cellist Schoenfeld, “one of the greats on the instrument,” taught Diego Miralles, who will be performing at the event, the story stated. She once performed at the event with her sister, Thornton School Emeritus Professor Alice Schoenfeld.
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- October 2009
- Classical Guitar Magazine highlighted two USC Thornton DMA students
- Classical Guitar Magazine interviewed USC Thornton DMA student Connie Sheu and reviewed a publication by USC Thornton DMA student Scott Wolf. Sheu studies with Bill Kanengiser, and Wolf studies with Scott Tennant.
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- October 8, 2009
- Los Angeles Times quoted USC Thornton faculty member Christopher Sampson
- Los Angeles Times quoted Christopher Sampson of the USC Thornton School about The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson being authorized by George Gershwin’s estate to complete unfinished Gershwin songs. Sampson said that a Gershwin-Wilson collaboration isn’t as far-fetched as it may seem. “Where they both made their mark was extending the form,” Sampson said. “George Gershwin was the only composer of his time to make a mark with the popular style of the time and then successfully cross over to quote-unquote serious music by extending the form beyond the basic [pop song] structure, getting into operatic styles and things of that sort. Brian Wilson redefined the pop song form through his orchestrations that took music in an entirely new direction.”
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- Los Angeles Times reviewed a performance by USC Thornton faculty member Ben Wendel
- Los Angeles Times reviewed a performance by saxophonist Ben Wendel of the USC Thornton School. Wendel presented the L.A. premiere of his untitled six-part suite, the result of earning a New Works Grant from Chamber Music America. “Performing on saxophones, bassoon and the occasional melodica, Wendel was a democratic leader through the intricate and harmonically rich suite, offering plenty of room for his crack, six-piece ensemble to shine,” the review stated. “As if looking to close the night with some fireworks, Wendel’s solo on tenor saxophone in the sixth movement swerved through a dramatic series of trills and runs that earned a few ‘oohs’ from the crowd while still preserving the piece’s intricate, syncopated backbone.”
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- October 6, 2009
- United Press International highlighted the upcoming performances by Steve Miller Band in celebration of USC Thornton's 125th anniversary
- United Press International reported that rock musician Steve Miller will help the USC Thornton School mark its 125th anniversary with two benefit concerts at Bovard Auditorium later this month. Christopher Sampson of the Thornton School said that the school is “deeply grateful to Steve and his band for their incredible generosity and support of Thornton.” The article noted that the Thornton School — home to programs in popular music performance, recording science, scoring for movies and TV, classical music, opera, jazz, composition and research — has counted among its faculty violinist Jascha Heifetz, cellist Gregor Piatigorsky and composer Igor Stravinsky.
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Read the Los Angeles Times article
- Los Angeles Times highlighted the USC Thornton Symphony's performance with famous alumnus Michael Tilson Thomas
- Los Angeles Times featured “An Evening with Michael Tilson Thomas and the USC Thornton Symphony,” part of Visions and Voices: The USC Arts & Humanities Initiative. Earlier this week, Thornton School alumnus and renowned conductor Michael Tilson Thomas performed at the event, celebrating the Thornton School’s 125th anniversary. “For 45 minutes, the music director of the San Francisco Symphony described a sentimental education, which began when he was 10-year-old piano prodigy in USC’s preparatory school in the mid-’50s and continued through his undergraduate years. He then conducted the USC Thornton Symphony in a powerful, emotionally generous performance of Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony. ... The USC orchestra is very good,” the story stated. Thornton School graduate student Cindy Taylor wrote the program notes for the performance, the article noted.
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- October 4, 2009
- Pittsburgh Tribune-Review mentioned Bob Mintzer of the USC Thornton School
- Pittsburgh Tribune-Review mentioned Bob Mintzer of the USC Thornton School in a story on jazz bands. Mintzer’s responsibilities as head of jazz studies at the Thornton School may mean that he has less time to tour with his New York-based jazz group, the story stated.
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- October 1, 2009
- Pasadena Weekly profiled USC Thornton School Dean Robert Cutietta
- Pasadena Weekly profiled USC Thornton School Dean Robert Cutietta, stating that he is behind the modernization push of the school through some new programs: undergraduate degrees in choral music, vocal jazz, and popular music performance, the “first of its kind for a major university.” These innovations are ambitious and precedent-setting, the story stated. Cutietta said when he saw the USC posting of the dean’s job in 2002, he thought it was a perfect match. “If I was going to create a school of music, this is how I’d make it,” Cutietta said, highlighting the diversity of the Thornton School’s programs, including classical training, choral programs, a music industry major and a film-and-television scoring program. “There’s so much vitality there,” he added. The article reported that Cutietta saw room for innovation with the popular music performance program and brought in high-profile pop artists, including Steve Miller of the Steve Miller Band, Red Hot Chili Pepper bassist Flea and Motown songwriter Lamont Dozier, to consult on the curriculum. Cutietta said that the new major is as rigorous as those for classical musicians: “If you’re in the popular music program, you’re expected to be improvisatory, to be able to create music.” The article also reported that Cutietta occasionally plays electric and acoustic bass guitars in a jazz trio that includes USC President Steven B. Sample on drums, and that Cutietta often answers music questions on KUSC-FM’s “Arts Alive.”
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- September 30, 2009
- Oshkosh Northwestern quoted USC Thornton faculty member Mark Goldstein
- Oshkosh Northwestern quoted Mark Goldstein of the USC Thornton School in a story about a musician who recently signed a record deal. Goldstein said that major label deals don’t guarantee success and that album sales generally make up a small part of the money that’s out there for artists. “The major labels don’t have the social significance they used to have,” Goldstein said. However, for a singer-songwriter, the big labels make sense, because the marketing opportunities make for a better long-term bet, he explained.
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- Los Angeles Times reviewed a performance by USC Thornton faculty member Midori Goto
- Los Angeles Times reviewed a performance by violinist Midori Goto of the USC Thornton School. Goto played with the Pacific Symphony to celebrate conductor Carl St.Clair’s 20th anniversary with the orchestra, and started with a performance of “Shooting Stars” by Frank Ticheli of the Thornton School. “It was a rousing curtain-raiser fitting the occasion for another reason. Ticheli, who teaches composition at USC, wrote it for the orchestra’s 25th anniversary in 2003 while he was composer-in-residence,” the review stated. “The diminutive Midori used her entire body, producing an unsentimental, sweet tone. Her riveting dynamic control in shaping the first movement made for a slower-than-usual tempo, which paid exciting dividends during orchestral climaxes and transitions.”
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Read The Orange County Register article
- September 29, 2009
- Daily Breeze highlighted an upcoming performace by USC Thornton faculty member Frank Potenza
- Daily Breeze reported that Frank Potenza of the USC Thornton School is scheduled to play next February as part of the George Nakano Theater’s jazz cabaret series.
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- September 21, 2009
- Pasadena Star-News highlighted the kick-off event of the USC Thornton School's 125th anniversary celebration
- Pasadena Star-News featured the kick-off of the USC Thornton School’s 125-day celebration of its 125th anniversary. The story stated there were more than 700 guests at the September 10 event, which included performances by Thornton School student musicians, a buffet of ethnic dishes, confetti cannons, and the Thornton Symphony performing Berlioz’s “Symphonie Fantastique” under celebrated conductor Carl St.Clair of the Thornton School.
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- September 18, 2009
- The Orange County Register highlighted USC Thornton faculty member Midori Goto
- The Orange County Register featured Midori Goto of the USC Thornton School, stating that the violin virtuoso has a packed performance schedule this academic year. Goto, who holds the Jascha Heifetz Chair at the Thornton School and chairs the strings department, also devotes time to altruistic efforts with several music education outreach programs, the story noted. “Being a naturally curious person, I draw energy from a diverse schedule in perpetual motion,” Goto said. “Everything I do is born of a genuine desire to do so, and each endeavor provides motivation and inspiration for the others.”
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- September 17, 2009
- Glamour featured USC Thornton student Courtney Fortune
- Glamour featured USC Thornton School student Courtney Fortune in its list of Top 10 College Women. Fortune, who is the recipient of USC’s Brian Wilson Scholarship for songwriting, recorded her debut jazz album as a sophomore and works with foster children at the Peapod Music and Arts Academy.
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- September 16, 2009
- Metro Spirit highlighted upcoming performances by USC Thornton faculty member Ronald McCurdy
- Metro Spirit reported that Ronald McCurdy of the USC Thornton School will be performing in “Ask Your Mama: 12 Moods for Jazz,” in a touring concert of poet Langston Hughes’ words and jazz poetry. “Langston Hughes uses his words in such a way that even the most common person could understand what his message was about,” McCurdy said. “That is one thing that set him apart from other poets, that his words were much more accessible for those perhaps who were not necessarily educated.” The concert is scheduled to take place September 24 in Augusta, Ga., as part of the 2009 Westobou Festival.
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- Los Angeles Times quoted USC Thornton faculty member Christopher Sampson
- Los Angeles Times quoted Christopher Sampson of the USC Thornton School in an article on the enduring popularity of The Beatles, whose new sonically upgraded CDs sold 235,000 copies in their first two days in stores. “Both John and Paul, and George for that matter, were extraordinary students of songwriting,” Sampson said. “You can tell in their writing they understood song form and songwriting craft from the Tin Pan Alley days, as well as early rock ’n’ roll. They created music that drew from these traditions, but was capable of transcending them.”
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- September 13, 2009
- Contra Costa Times quoted USC Thornton faculty member Mark Goldstein
- Contra Costa Times quoted Mark Goldstein of the USC Thornton School in a story on Pomona’s recently opened Fox Theater, which hosts alternative music performances. “There is a market of consumers to see the shows,” Goldstein said. “They are also competing to get acts at the venue.” Goldstein added that once the Fox is established, its bookers will gain leverage in negotiating blackouts, so that bands can’t play within a certain radius the night before or after a show. He also said that the theater made a good choice in focusing on alternative rock acts, because the genre has a solid fan base and flexible ticket prices.
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- September 12, 2009
- Los Angeles Times hightlighted the USC Thornton School's 125th anniversary donor contributions
- Los Angeles Times, in an Associated Press story, featured several gifts received by the USC Thornton School during its 125th anniversary year. Benefactor Ruth Ross, who established the school’s Alice and Eleonore Schoenfeld Scholarship for string students in 2004, has given an additional $1.25 million to augment the scholarship. David and Krystyna Newman have given a matching challenge gift to launch the Thornton School’s 125th Anniversary Fund Campaign. Joanne and Marcel George have given another gift to enhance the Joanne and Marcel George Endowed Music Scholarship in Jazz Studies. The school has created the H. Robert Reynolds Endowed Professorship in Wind Conducting, with a gift from John and Sandy Daniels. Finally, Simon Ramo donated a grand piano that belonged to Jascha Heifetz, bringing the Thornton School’s Steinway collection to 99.
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- September 11, 2009
- KPCC-FM hightlighted the USC Thornton School's 125th anniversary and new popular music program
- KPCC-FM featured the USC Thornton School’s 125th anniversary and highlighted the school’s new popular music program. The story stated that Thornton School welcomed a wave of notable European musicians who arrived during World War II, a generation who nurtured top performers such as USC alumnus Michael Tilson Thomas, music director of the San Francisco Symphony. The school’s goal is to graduate first-rate musicians who are ready for careers in which they’ll have to mix teaching, rehearsals and promoting their live performances, said Thornton School Dean Robert Cutietta. When the school was first founded in the 1880s, it fed a real thirst for culture, said Claude Zachary of USC Libraries. The story also interviewed Thornton School graduate student Bonnie Andrews.
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- The Kansas City Star hightlighted USC Thornton faculty member Ronald McCurdy
- The Kansas City Star featured Ronald McCurdy of the USC Thornton School. The seasoned jazz trumpet player will perform September 12 in Kansas City, Mo., the story stated. McCurdy headed the former USC Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz and is past president of the International Association for Jazz Education, the article noted. “At my age, I’m at a point where I can see the fruits of my labor,” McCurdy said. “There’s not a month that goes by when I don’t get an e-mail from some former student of mine to say, ‘Thank you for what you shared in class.’”
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- September 10, 2009
- Star-Telegram hightlighted USC Thornton faculty member Midori Goto
- Star-Telegram profiled Midori Goto of the USC Thornton School, who is scheduled to play with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra September 19 and 20. The article stated that Goto, a world famous violinist, works on outreach efforts to bring music to people regardless of race, economic status or location. “Music is meant to be shared among all people and should be not limited to the certain faction of the population who can afford to pay for concert tickets and instrument lessons,” Goto said. “All of my projects come from a simple wish to bring people together through music.”
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- September 1, 2009
- Pasadena Star-News hightlighted a USC Thornton School 125th anniversary event
- Pasadena Star-News highlighted the event the USC Thornton School will hold on September 10 to celebrate its 125th anniversary. A party at USC’s Town and Gown will be followed by a USC Thornton Symphony performance of Berlioz’s “Symphonie Fantastique.”
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- L.A. Weekly featured the Mitchell Lurie Memorial Concert
- L.A. Weekly featured the Mitchell Lurie Memorial Concert, to be held at USC on September 6 in honor of the late Mitchell Lurie of the USC Thornton School. The story reported that Lurie, considered by some to be the greatest clarinetist of his time, was known not only for his musicianship but for his kindness and generosity.
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- August 18, 2009
- The Santa Fe New Mexican featured Rod Gilfry and his daughter
- Santa Fe New Mexican featured Rod Gilfry of the USC Thornton School and his daughter, who like him is an opera singer. Gilfry, an internationally successful baritone, sang with her in a duet composed by Morten Lauridsen of the Thornton School, the story noted.
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- Columbian Profiles Incoming Thornton Student
- The Columbian profiled incoming USC Thornton School student Quinn Middleman, who plans to major in voice performance. “I’m really looking forward to studying voice there,” Middleman said. “They have a lot of great faculty.”
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- August 12, 2009
- The Seattle Times featured Suli Xue of the USC Thornton School and the Pacific Harmony String Quartet, which he founded.
- The quartet aims to build musical bridges between East and West, the story reported. “I learned Western music but have a Chinese cultural background,” Xue said. “My goal is to introduce Chinese music to Western audiences.” He noted, “There is an ocean that connects us here in California with China.”
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- August 6, 2009
- The Record profiled USC Thornton School alumni Kate and Kacey Coppola, country singers currently appearing in Nashville.
- The music industry program at USC helped the sisters gain knowledge of the music business, Kate Coppola said. “Making contacts in L.A. was huge. It’s a music town,” she added.
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- August 3, 2009
- The New York Times reviewed a performance by USC Thornton Opera alumnus Angela Meade
- The New York Times reviewed a performance by USC Thornton Opera alumnus Angela Meade, soprano, of Gioachino Rossini's Semiramide at the Venetian Theater at the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts.
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- July 31, 2009
- Yahoo! News mentions USC Thornton Jazz Department
- Yahoo! News reported that the International Jazz Workshop has been put on in cooperation with jazz studies departments at the USC Thornton School and other institutions.
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- July 23, 2009
- BroadwayWorld reported that Rod Gilfry of the USC Thornton School will lead the National Touring Company of Rogers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific
- Gilfry is a Grammy-nominated opera singer with a discography of 23 audio and video recordings, the story noted.
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- July 9, 2009
- Thornton Student Angela Cholakyan featured in Glendale News-Press
- Glendale News-Press profiled USC Thornton School alumna Angela Cholakyan, a classical pianist and teacher. Cholakyan, who emigrated from the Soviet Union, was encouraged by Norman Krieger of the Thornton School to get a doctoral degree in order to start her American career. Cholakyan was accepted to USC’s doctoral program and received a full-tuition, five-year scholarship, the story noted. She made an incredible contribution to the school, Krieger said. “Her talents are equal as a performer and teacher.”
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- July 7, 2009
- Mail Tribute quotes New West Guitart Quartet
- The Mail Tribune noted that members of the trio New West met while they were students at the USC Thornton School, where all were guitar majors taking a guitar ensemble class. “USC has a strong classical program, but also studio music,” said USC alumnus John Storie. New West collaborated with USC to become the first group to receive the coveted Thornton Protege Grant, the story stated.
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- North County Times highlights incoming student
- The North County Times highlighted a young musician who is one of only a few to be admitted into the USC Thornton School’s new popular music performance program.
